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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · spring · present · patient · racket · scale · bound · bore

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bound — tied together
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bore — to drill
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. present — there
  8. spring — of water
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bound — certain
  11. scale — size or range
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. present — a gift
  14. prune — to trim
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. spring — the season
  20. scale — in music
  21. present — the time now
  22. bore — to tire
  23. spring — a coil
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com